Can Samsung's Galaxy S9 Stand Up to the iPhone 8?

Samsung’s new Galaxy S9 may be meant to compete with the iPhone 8, but Android Central’s Russell Holly says the latest device could give even Apple’s high-end smartphone a run for its money.

“It’s going to be an interesting price for people who are looking to not spend that $1,000 price tag for an iPhone X,” the senior editor told Cheddar.

At $720, the S9 is priced a little higher than the iPhone 8 ($700) but less than the 8 Plus ($800) and comes in well under Apple’s premium product.

The lack of a sticker shock isn’t the only draw for consumers, says Holly. Though the phone looks a lot like Samsung’s well-received S8, it's packed with a few attractive upgrades.

The S9’s camera operates at 960 frames per second in slow motion and also has “a physical aperture for better low-light and daylight situations,” says Holly. And the S9’s new processor gives its battery a lot more juice than the S8.

Another notable feature is the S9’s AR emoji function, which is built into the camera itself. This allows users to share their AR emojis across other apps “instead of just the one purpose that you have with Apple animojis in the iPhone X.”

Samsung dropped the S9 and S9+ at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, which takes place this week through Friday.